INTRODUCTION: Currently, there is no accurate diagnostic molecular biomarker for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The aim of this study was to assess the expression of microRNA-15a (miR-15a) in urine of patients with RCC and to evaluate its potential as a diagnostic molecular biomarker. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 67 patients with solid renal tumors were enrolled: clear-cell RCC (ccRCC, n = 22), papillary RCC (pRCC, n = 16), chromophobe RCC (chRCC, n = 14), oncocytoma (n = 8), papillary adenoma (n = 2) and angiomyolipoma (n = 5). MiRNA-15a expression levels measurement in urine were performed using qPCR. Urine of 15 healthy volunteers without kidney pathology was used as control. RESULTS: We observed a difference in mean miR-15a expression values in groups of pre-operative patients with RCC, benign renal tumors and healthy persons (2.50E-01 ± 2.72E-01 vs 1.32E-03 ± 3.90E-03 vs 3.36E-07 ± 1.04E-07 RFU, respectively, p < 0.01). There was no difference in miR-15a expression between ccRCC, pRCC and chRCC (p > 0.05). Direct association between RCC size and miR-15a expression values was obtained (Pearson correlation coefficient-0.873). On the 8th day after nephrectomy, mean expression value in patients with RCC decreased by 99.53% (p < 0.01). MiR-15a expression differentiated RCC from benign renal tumors with 98.1% specificity, 100% sensitivity at a cut-off value of 5.00E-06 RFU, with AUC-0.955. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-15a expression measured in urine may be used as diagnostic molecular biomarker for RCC.

• Keywords
• Biomarker, Diagnosis, MiRNA-15a, Molecular marker, Renal cell carcinoma,
• MeSH
• Adenoma urine   MeSH
• Angiomyolipoma urine   MeSH
• Carcinoma, Renal Cell diagnosis   pathology   surgery   urine   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• MicroRNAs urine   MeSH
• Biomarkers, Tumor urine   MeSH
• Kidney Neoplasms diagnosis   pathology   surgery   urine   MeSH
• Nephrectomy MeSH
• Adenoma, Oxyphilic urine   MeSH
• Polymerase Chain Reaction MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Sensitivity and Specificity MeSH
• Neoplasm Staging MeSH
• Case-Control Studies MeSH
• Tumor Burden MeSH
• Check Tag
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• MicroRNAs MeSH
• MIRN15 microRNA, human MeSH Browser
• Biomarkers, Tumor MeSH